. But because it's never given any other exploration, it falls flat; unlike Nine's inability to use the delta wave in PotW, it was actively boring.
I've heard the end of FoB called a lot of things, but never boring before! ;) I don't understand what you mean by "other exploration"; it was, itself, an exploration of Ten's character. It's part of a continuing exploration of his character that's been going on throughout the series. It doesn't have an easy answer; it taps into huge philosophical debates about the nature of power and vengeance that can't and shouldn't be resolved simply.
He leaves Jack behind for… reasons that can't have been too compelling, because he's over it at the end of LotTL despite that Jack hasn't changed any, and we never get any explanation.
But we do get an explanation, in "Utopia." The Doctor admits that he ran away because he didn't want to deal with Jack being "wrong," Jack talks about prejudice, the Doctor doesn't disagree, and they bond again and get over it. It's a great moment because the Doctor actually does learn something there, and we do see how other characters deal with his tendency to run away rather than face anything emotionally challenging.
But why does nobody have anything to say about it?
But why do the characters have to say anything? The audience is smart enough to think for ourselves. Are we really supposed to see it as 100% unproblematic that the Doctor forgives and cries over the man who gleefully tried to destroy humanity? Of course not. We're supposed to think about it and come to our own conclusions. It has multiple layers and interpretations, and the characters don't have to spell them all out for the audience to appreciate them.
I love that moment because it's simultaneously so illustrating of the Doctor's goodness, his ability to forgive (don't forget that he was held hostage for a year, too), and of his deep deep deep screwed up personal issues (he's so desperately lonely that he clings to a monster as long as he's of his own kind). It's another lovely example of the show's willingness to allow moral ambiguity, and leave the ultimate meaning up to the audience.
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Date: 2008-01-28 12:03 am (UTC)I've heard the end of FoB called a lot of things, but never boring before! ;) I don't understand what you mean by "other exploration"; it was, itself, an exploration of Ten's character. It's part of a continuing exploration of his character that's been going on throughout the series. It doesn't have an easy answer; it taps into huge philosophical debates about the nature of power and vengeance that can't and shouldn't be resolved simply.
He leaves Jack behind for… reasons that can't have been too compelling, because he's over it at the end of LotTL despite that Jack hasn't changed any, and we never get any explanation.
But we do get an explanation, in "Utopia." The Doctor admits that he ran away because he didn't want to deal with Jack being "wrong," Jack talks about prejudice, the Doctor doesn't disagree, and they bond again and get over it. It's a great moment because the Doctor actually does learn something there, and we do see how other characters deal with his tendency to run away rather than face anything emotionally challenging.
But why does nobody have anything to say about it?
But why do the characters have to say anything? The audience is smart enough to think for ourselves. Are we really supposed to see it as 100% unproblematic that the Doctor forgives and cries over the man who gleefully tried to destroy humanity? Of course not. We're supposed to think about it and come to our own conclusions. It has multiple layers and interpretations, and the characters don't have to spell them all out for the audience to appreciate them.
I love that moment because it's simultaneously so illustrating of the Doctor's goodness, his ability to forgive (don't forget that he was held hostage for a year, too), and of his deep deep deep screwed up personal issues (he's so desperately lonely that he clings to a monster as long as he's of his own kind). It's another lovely example of the show's willingness to allow moral ambiguity, and leave the ultimate meaning up to the audience.